Herculaneum

On the way back to Naples from Positano, we stopped for a couple of hours at Herculaneum, destroyed by the same volcanic eruption that smother Pompeii in 79 A.D., it’s less well-known, which is a shame. It’s smaller than Pompeii, so it’s much easier to grasp, and I liked it much better. It was buried much deeper than Pompeii, too, so the upper stories of buildings remain, along with charred wooden door supports and furniture, even food. It was a wealthier town, as well, so its finer houses were richer in frescoes, mosaics and marble. Herculaneum, being further from Mt. Vesuvius, had more warning for evacuation, although about 300 people died clustered along the seafront, shown in the photos immediately below, awaiting rescue. Remember these arches, because you will see them again in the Naples museum in a fresco.

 

The streetscapes include 1- and 2-story buildings, beautiful windows, and frescoed archways, even charred rope.